The BecauseDrumGeek Mike Mangini e-kit ❗️ 😃👉


➜ Incredibly many sounds, including four hihats, two of which are (CC) variable with switchable hihat modes during playing: e.g. Hihat Bow-Zone can be switched so that it is always the Closed Tip articulation that mutes the open sounds, and the Edge-Zone remains the variable hihat + the other hihat on one side mutes the Variable Hihat/Open Hihat). This is unbeatably creative and opens up a whole new world of possibilities!

By the way, the whole thing can be tested in my DrumStudio for those interested.



The BecauseDrumGeek Mike Mangini e-kit uses the
MixWave Mike Mangini Library :

∙ 2 Snares (btw, there is a selection of 8 different snare models for "Snare 1")
∙ there is a selection of 4 different Kick drum models
∙ 8 Toms (4 Rack Toms and 4 Gong Floor Toms)
∙ 4 Octobans
∙ 4 Hihats (two of them with Variable CC function and the other two provide TIP + SHOULDER + EDGE articulations)
∙ 4 Crashes
∙ 2 Rides (with BOW and BELL articulations)
∙ 2 Chinas
∙ 3 Splahes
∙ 5 Stacks (three of them with TIP and EDGE articulations)

➜ see detailed pad/articulation setup (in the Picture Gallery)
"BDG -M.Mangini - part 1 -- Kit Pieces _ Articulations"
and
"BDG -M.Mangini - part 2a -- Kit Pieces _ Articulations"
and
"BDG -M.Mangini - part 2b -- Kit Pieces _ Articulations"


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Preface:

In general, one goal with the e-kit (besides 'advanced' functions like the fantastic Hihat Engine and also the stuff that is not possible in reality) was to make Mangini's monster kit much more compact (than in reality with all those large shells) and above all to avoid having to play on the second floor (Octobans) / go vertical.
So I use small kit pieces like PDX-6 and -8 and tons of small cymbal pads (the biggest cym pad size is 12" CY-12 for the Crashes and one 15" Ride pad).



Features:

- Hihat :

∙ both Variable Hihats are controlled by your one Controller Pedal! :)
( ➜ in the real world it would be a remote cable hihat stand with two cables (which AFAIK unfortunately does not yet exist) , one cable going to the left and one to the right side - so the virtual e-drum world makes possible what is impossible in the real or analog world)


∙ Advanced Open Hihat Mute behavior 🙂:
(Hihat "1" & "3" are placed on the left side and Hihat "2" & "4" are placed on the right side of the kit. Hihat "1" & "2" are Variable CC Hihats) ➜ The open aritculations of the Variable Hihat "1" are choked by striking one of the two pads with Hihat "3" articulations (the other pad with Hihat "3" articulations works independently and therefore does not choke Hihat "1").
And the open aritculations of the Variable Hihat "2" are choked by striking pads or pad zones* with Hihat "4" articulations.
(* multiple e-drum pads provide articulations from the same Mangini hihat ➜ see detailed pad/articulation setup)


∙ Toggle Engines (for hihats) :

Toggle function 1 :
main hihat pad -> toggle between states (A) and (B) while playing by hitting dedicated Toggle Pads (that can of course also trigger sounds):
(A): DEFAULT state: Variable CC Hihat on Bow and Edge (on the Bow with the "TIP CLOSED" articulation as the first stage ; and on the Edge with the "EDGE CLOSED" articulation as the first stage
-vs.-
(B): SPECIAL state: the Bow is always the "TIP CLOSED" articulation (independent of the controller pedal position) and it mutes the open sounds from the Variable CC Hihat (with the "EDGE CLOSED" articulation as the first stage) that remains unaffected on the Edge of the hihat pad.

Toggle function 2 :
toggle between normal hihat operation and the "All Hihats CLOSED" state (while playing by hitting dedicated Toggle Pads (that can of course also trigger sounds))
Both Variable Hihats on both sides (Mangini Hihat "1" & "2") will trigger the CLOSED articulations exclusively ["TIP CLOSED" & "EDGE CLOSED"] (independent of the controller pedal position)


∙ Pedal Splash Engine :
performing pedal splashes will trigger the corresponding "Ching" articulations from both Variable Hihats (the left-side and the right side one)


[ ➜ The whole hihat engine thing with 4 hihats and its advanced mute behavior and the Toggle Enggines is incredibly creative and opens up a whole new world of possibilities! ]


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- Cymbal Choke Engine :

∙ all Mangini cymbals (Crashes, Chinas, Splashes, Stacks, Rides) are chokable (with Roland -or simliar- modules) 🙂 ;

the Crashes feature an additional dynamic "Mute Tail" Choking 🙂 (like the cymbal choke engine in SD3) - which is not possible by default

∙ Cymbal Choking 'Advanced' : all cymbals can be choked by any of the cymbal pads* - so it won't be an issue to reach a particular Mangini cymbal in order to choke it 🙂
(* except the main Ride pad that will exclusively choke the Ride (Mangini "Ride 2")

∙ 'advanced' "Mute Tail" Choking on Crashes: the correct "Mute Tail" sound is always played for the last cymbal struck, regardless of which crash cymbal pad is choked 🙂


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- Double Bass Drum & Kick Toggle Engine :
➜ Double Bass Drum sound for single Kick Pads:
play a DoubleBassDrum sound with alternating Kick sounds (the second Kick will sound differently in order to achieve an authentic DoubbleBass sound/feel (i.e. creative A↔B playing) and to avoid machinegunning)
and toggle the kick drum engine (default Single-Sound vs. advanced engine Double-Sound) after your musical needs during a song (by dedicated toggle pad hit)


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- visual 'Toggle Engine' control :
∙ I have visual control over all Toggle Engine states showing me which engine / activation of an engine is currently active and working.



➜ see detailed [pad numbers + Toggle Engine states + HihatEngine-MuteBehavior] info (in the Picture Gallery)
BDG -M.Mangini - part 2c -- pad numbers
+
BDG -M.Mangini - part 3 -- ToggleEngines
+
BDG -M.Mangini - part 4 -- HihatEngine-MuteBehavior


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REAPER is used here as the e-drum engine DAW :)

😊





Video 'Teaser' :

The real dimensions of the super compact BecauseDrumGeek Mangini e-kit ❗️👉


The photos are a little deceptive and do not really reflect the enormous compactness of the kit.

So here are the dimensions of the kit in inches and meters!

Mangini's monster cage is extremely shrunken in the e-kit version, so to speak, and that was also the aim of the design, because playing the compact version is of course much more pleasant and comfortable ❗️👍



ENJOY ❗️🙂




+

The Mangini concept is super symmetrical. And it's about a bunch of colorful sounds that talk to each other. You will have the aha effect after trying out the pads and sounds. Getting that particular drum library is the first step to understand the concept and to enjoy the kit. It's so much fun ❗️ and it opens up a new universe of drumming philosophy and possibilities.
And the whole thing can also stand alone very well without additional music.

...and then there is that fantastic advanced hihat engine with all those mute functions (that has nothing to do with the limited reality) -> and again: you will get it immediately (this time with a really overwhelming aha effect 😊) after trying out.
I will additionally transfer that hihat concept to SD3 (and other drum samplers) as this feature is soooo strong ❗️😊